[Edited_by_A._Ciancio,_C.N.R.,_Bari,_Italy_and_K.(Bookos.org)

10
CONTROL OF URTICATING LEPIDOPTERA
OUTBREAKS WITH BACILLUS THURINGIENSIS
AERIAL TREATMENTS
PIO FEDERICO ROVERSI, LEONARDO MARIANELLI,
LORENZO MARZIALI, MICHELE SQUARCINI AND
GIANPAOLO BARZANTI
Agricultural Research Council,
Research Centre for Agrobiology and Pedology,
Cascine del Riccio,
50125 Firenze, Italy
Abstract. The main species of urticating Lepidoptera are presented, together with the environmentfriendly
methods based on biological control agents. These include the bacterium Bacillus thuringiensis
and the technologies developed to treat large park and forest areas, in wild as well as urban environments.
Advances in the aerial control methods developed and the effects of formulations on the treatments
efficacy and persistence are briefly described.
1. INTRODUCTION
A limited number of Lepidoptera is considered as seriously harmful in forest and
urban parks and this characteristic is linked to the possibility that massive population
explosions may occur (Myers, 1988). From the ecological point of view, dramatic
density changes or “outbreaks” are phenomena common to various animal species,
including insects, and occur through cycles of increasing population density changes
(Berryman, 1987). The capability to increase enormously in number and to attack
trees in normal-growing conditions, acting as a prime debilitating or “early damagecausing
biotic factor” makes the infestation of some species of defoliating
Lepidoptera particularly dangerous. Furthermore, their attacks can predispose trees
to infections by pathogenic agents, that exploit the reduced capability of the host to
react.
Among Lepidoptera there are species noted not only for the direct damage
caused by defoliating activities, but also for their capability to interact with agro-
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A. Ciancio, K.G. Mukerji (eds.), Integrated Management of Arthropod Pests
and Insect Borne Diseases, Integrated Management of Plant Pests and Diseases 5,
DOI 10.1007/978-90-481-8606-8_10, © Springer Science+Business Media B.V. 2010